Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Red White and Blue Update:3 months later

For my newer readers, on Independence Day this year I challenged myself to 6 months of *trying* to buy USA-made goods. It has been an education, to say the least! I think the term 'global economy' is a euphemism for 'you cannot survive without China'!!!

In any case, my children and husband and I have enjoyed learning about the economy and about companies and where their 'stuff' gets manufactured. And we've found some good news along the way.

I've compiled a short list of companies and items that you CAN buy domestically made- without going broke!!! Which seems to be the clincher for trying to find USA made goods.

Corelle dishes- cheap, beautiful, and still made in New York (some items
such as their mugs are made in China
Pyrex- the very best cooking/ baking ware, still made in the USA
Rubbermaid- most of it is still made the USA!
Cutco- not cheap, but it's what I use
Anchor Hocking- I love thier glassware, too
Libbey- more beautiful glassware
BlendTec
Vitamix
KitchenAid- but not all products
RugDoctor
ShopVac- no garage should be without one

IKEA- I was surprised to find how many of their things are made in
the USA. I've been needing to redo my toy storage, and to my
delight, many of their Trofast system boxes are made here

Little Tykes- most of their toys
Step 2- most of their toys
Green Toys- cute stuff!
Legos- some made here, most made in Europe or South America, with only a
few components made in China
Playmobil- ditto
Maple Schoolhouse- a bit pricier, but absolute hightest quality toys
Hoohobbers- specialty brand of toys, furniture etc. I love their gopher
tabler for toddlers
Wikki Stix- WE LOVE THESE! Bendarooz are a knock-off of them, and are
in made China
Lauri Toys- also some of our favorites! They make awesome non-toxic crepe
rubber puzzles. I highly recommend ANYTHING made by Lauri.
Big Wheel- the original, back in production, here in the states

Japanese Weekend- maternity and nursing clothes, mostly made in the USA...
like I needed 1 more excuse to feed my JW addiction!
JCrew- again, if I needed 1 more reson to wear JCrew jeans, most of them
are USA made. Of course, mine come off of ebay, but still....
Wigwam- still makes some of their socks here
New Balance- still has several plants in the USA

And don't forget etsy and HyenaCart, where you can find clothes, toys, and household goods made by artisans all over the USA.

Happy Christmas shopping!

"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice." ~Steven D. Woodhull (U.S. geologist, 1976-)

Come up here, O dusty feet!
Here is fairy bread to eat,
Here in my retiring room,
Children, you may dine
On the golden smell of broom
And the shade of pine;
And when you have eaten well,
Fairy stories hear and tell.
-R.L. Stevenson

The Bookshelf

This book is probably the best, most complete cookbook I can recommend.
A classic from a master of modern spirituality.
A complete nutrition primer. The best explanation of what to eat, what not to eat, and why. Plus troubleshooting for many health problems, fertility-related or not.
This book contains many useful recipes and other information (how to feed a baby, too) for the whole foods kitchen. I do not share the author's bias on many topics, but even so, a highly recommended cookbook.
The complete, original guide to the out of doors. The introduction alone is worth the price of this book, especially for someone who is nervous or unsure of how to go about nature study.
While you have to wade through a certain amount of poltical commentary and new age fluff to get to the meat of this book, it is still one of the most complete herbal manuals I've found. Enough information here to overwhelm a beginner, but a great reference to have on hand. Plan to unpack this one a bit at a time!
Although I do not consider myself an unschooler, here is a book to help even the tighest-wound home educator relax and bring joy into education.
The classic. A must-read for anyone with a preschooler under their roof.

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